Washing machine



Feb. 28, 1928.

G. W. OLNEY WASHING MACHINE Filed May 1-3. 1927 cylinders and thus prevent to a considerable extentthe: danger of. rusting of the metal Other objects and advantages of the in-. vention relate to: various novel details. of

Patented Feb. 28, 1928.

j UNITE sire-s GEORGE w. OLNEY, on LIncoLn, RHODE ISLAND.

WASHING .MA'CHINFL Application filed May 13,

- andso constructed as to reduce to a mini mum the'liability of injury to the fabrics."

A further objectof the invention. is to provide an improved clothes container of this character so constructed as to prevent access of the water to the space betweenthe and consequent injury Ito the fabrics.

construction and improved methodsof operation as will, be more fully set forth in the detailed description to follow. Referring to the drawings I I Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the improved washing machine,

container, and, g i

7 detail sectional'view taken. along the line 4-4:" of F I Fig. 2 is a perspect ve view of the clothes container v Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the bearing blocks inserted within the space between the cylinders at each end of the clothes Fig. 4 is a In the accompanying '7 meral 1 designates the casing of'the washing machine, which may be of any suitable shape,and to which wash water or rinse water may be supplied or removed there- -art. I e casing '1 is provided at opposite thereof with bearings 2 for rotatably.

supporting a shaft 3, which is adapted to carry the clothes container 4 and which.

.. may be driven by a belt and pulley or other suitable drive mechanism after a manner .well known in the art. The driving means is preferably so arranged as to permit the rotation of the shaft 3 and clothes container .4 at various speedsand in opposite direc- 3. ldrawings the .nu-

from. in any suitable manner as will be readily hunderstoodby those skilled in the 1927. Serial in. 191,023.

tions whereby the apparatusmay be readily employed for the washingand rinsing of the clothes as well as for extracting the water therefrom.

The casing 1 .is provided with doors- 5' hinged thereto as at 6, and provided with handles 7 whereby access may be had to the 111i3eIl01.0f the casing and to those chambers of the clothes container which are in the uppermost position relative to the shaft 3.

.The clothes container tcomprises a plu'-- rality of cylinders 10, each of which has an i open end 11, the opposite endthereof being closed. Each cylinder 10 is provided with a plurality of openings 12 formed in the side wall thereof for permitting water to enter or leave the cylinder during rotation of the clothes container. In the preferred form of the invention four cylinders 10' are employed to form the clothes container, al-

though a greater or less numbenmay be used a if desired. The cylinders 10 are arrangedin parallel relat onand are fixedly secured together' by rivets or llke fastening means 14 passed-through those portions of the side walls of the adjacent cylinders which are 1 located in' proximity to each other. A layer of rubber orother suitable packing material 1 5may beinterpbsed between the meeting sldes of ad acent cylinders to prevent water from entering the space between the cylin-' ders. Bands 16 arepassed around the cylinders, preferably adjacent to the ends thereof,

and secured to the cylinders in anysuitable' manner as by r vets or like fasteningmeans 17 for firmly securing the"cylindcrs'together.

A hearing block 18"is inserted "within the space between the cylinders 10 at each' end of the clothes container 4, each bearing block being shaped to fit/the space between the cylinders and being provided with a central bearlng 19 for the shaf't'3 and a set screw 21 by which the bearing may be'firmly secured to the shaft. The bearing-block 18is provided upon each side with a plurality of openings 23 registering with similar openings in each cylinder wall when the parts arein assembled position, whereby the bearingblock 18 may be firmly secured to the cylinders as by rivets or bolts 24:. Each bearing block 18 is also provided with .an

the outer vend thereof and; overlying the adacent ends of the cylinders '10, and a. packing str1p26 of rubber or other suitable maoutwardly extending flange 25-formed upon I terial is preferably inserted gbetween the r the doors 5 and rotating the container 45 into 7 space between the cylinders.

block 18 may be providedalso, with lugs 27;

binding rods 28 may be inserted. between each band 16 and the bearing blocl: to

flange :25 and, the edge of each cylinder to prevent water from penetrating into the The bearing located at opposite corners thereof whereby firmly bind the parts together and draw the band 16 into tensioning engagement with the cylinders. The bearing block 18 located adjacent'to the closed ends 'of the'cylinders is provided with similar lugs 27 for connecting binding rods 28 with the band 16 atrthe rear ends of the cylinders 10. -Only two binding rods 28 maybe employed at the front end of the container instead of' the four employed at the rear of the container,

if desired, 'or four rods may be used as shown in Fig. 2. Twoof 'the'rods atthe front of the container may serve as pintles 'for pivotally mounting oppositely positioned covers 80 opening in opposite directions and eachprovided with suitable latch means 31 for engaging a projection or lug 32 011 the band 16 to retain the covers in position to close the open ends'of the cylinders 10.

In the operation of my improved structure the casing 1 may be partially filled with wash water and the clothes to be washed placed in the clothes container'by opening position so that one of thecovers, 80 will open as shown in Fig. 2 to give accessto two cylinders. be placed in thes'e two upper chambers, the cover 30 forthose chambers closed, and the container 4 rotated to bring the'two opposite chambers into position] in front of the the chambers.

doors 5. The cover 30 for those chambers may then be opened and clothes placed, in

- :and latched, and the doors 5 closed, placing the apparatus in condition for use. In washing the clothes the container 4: may be rotated in one'direotion constantly, or its direction of rotation may be reversed from time to'tizne as desired. If necessary or desirable the treatment of the clothes with wash water may be followedby a similar treatment withrinse water. In both cases itwill be seenthat in the presentconstru tion, the clothes are separated in smaller bulk in each chamber by the provision of a plurality of chambers, and the weight and bulk of the clothesin each chamber thus reduced, whereby the clothes areless liable water is permitted to penetrate into all to injury by reason of their weight, andthe parts thereof more freelythan would be the case in a single chamber. After the clothes have beenwashed and-rinsed as above described, the water may be entirely witln drawn from the casing 1 and the containerrotated at a higher speed than thatemployed in the previous operations for the purpose Clothes to be washedfmay then- The cover 30 is then closed nccasoa of extracting the water from the clothes.

In using the device for the purpose of extracting water from the'clot-hes the various advantages previously mentioned are of equal or even greater importance than in the washing. The separation of the clothes into several compartments results in the bulk of-tl1e clothes in each compartment being considerably smaller than would be in the case with single large compartment,

closely fitting the cylinders and bearing" blocks together and providing suitable packing material between ,thesepa'rts, access of water to the space between the several cylinders is preventedand thus the danger of rusting of these parts largely prevented as well as the difficulty of operation by reason of the presence of water therein avoided.

1. A washing machine comprising a tub adapted to contain water, a clothes container rotatably supported in's aid tub and comprising a plurality of-spaced cylindrical chambers fixedly secured together and arranged in parallel relation, and ahinged cover for one end ofsaid cylindrical chambers whereby access may be had thereto for removing or replacing clothes therein, and means for rotating saidcontainer in said tub.

2; A Washing machine comprising atub adapted to contain water and provided at one end thereof with doors whereby-access may be had to the interior thereof, a clothes container rotatably supported in said tub and comprising a plurality of spacedcylim 'ders fixedly secured thereto'and arrangedin parallel relation and each provided with a plurality of openings for permitting the flow ofwater therethrough, ,a hinged' cover for one endof said cylinders locatedadjacent to the said doors, and-meansforrotating said container in {sand tub.

3. In adevice of the character described a clothes container comprising a plurality of cylinders fixedly secured together and :ar ranged in parallel relation and each provided with a plurality of openings for permitting the flow ofwater therethrough, means for firmly securing the several cylinders together, oppositely positioned hinged covers located at one end of said container permitting access to the interior of said cylinders,

and means located between said cylinders for rotatably supporting the container.

4. In the device of the character described,- a clothes container comprisinga plurality thereof for permitting the flow of water therethrough, meanslocated at opposite ends of saidcontainer and between said cylinders for excluding water from the space between said cylinders, said last named means serving as bearings for rotatably supporting said container, and hinged covers secured to one end of said container for permitting access to the interior of said cylinders. 5. In a device of the character described,

a clothes container comprising a plurality of cylinders arranged in parallel relation and fixedly secured together, each of said cylinders being provided with'a plurality of openings in the side wall thereof for permitting the flow ofr water into and out of said cylinder, means between the contacting sides of said cylinders for preventing the" passage of water therebetweem'and means located at opposite ends of said container and between said cylinders for excluding water from the space between said, cylinders.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

p GEORGE W OLNEY. 

